NZ Wars Collection: Stories of Wairau

On June 17th 1843, a posse of European settlers head to the Wairau Valley planning to arrest renowned chief Te Rauparaha and his nephew, Te Rangihaeata. A gun battle breaks out and 26 people are killed, including several Pakeha prisoners executed in the aftermath. What started it all? And why?This episode was first released on 3 February 2023.Watch the video documentary here.On June 17th 1843, a posse of European settlers head to the Wairau Valley - planning to arrest the renowned chief Te Rauparaha and his nephew, Te Rangihaeata. A gun battle breaks out and 26 people are killed, including several Pakeha prisoners executed in the aftermath. So... what happened? and why?On June 17th 1843, a posse of European Settlers head to the Wairau Valley - planning to arrest the renowned chief Te Rauparaha and his nephew, Te Rangihaeata. It's a disaster. A gun battle breaks out and 26 people are killed, including several Pākehā prisoners executed in the aftermath. So... What happened? And why? In the first episode of this two part podcast, hosts Justine Murray and William Ray take an in-depth look at the events leading up to the conflict at Wairau.We'll explain how Ngāti Toa came to occupy Wairau in the first place, how a sneaky ship captain made a dodgy deal for the land, and how that deed made its way into the hands of the New Zealand Company - which would try to take that land by force, with disasterous results.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The NZ Wars series goes back to the first shots fired... to Wairau in June 1843.This series was first released in February 2023.The violence erupted one summer's morning in 1843 on the Wairau Plains, at the top of the South Island. A posse of 49 or more settlers sent to arrest renowned rangatira Te Rauparaha and his nephew Te Rangihaeata had tracked them down to the Tuamarino Stream, about 60kms south-east of Nelson.It was a stand-off. But before long tempers flared, and amidst threats, refusals and bible verses being read aloud, Nelson's magistrate Henry Thompson made a rash choice. The day would end with 22 settlers and four Māori killed; what some call the first conflict of the New Zealand Wars.But the road to conflict started years earlier. Hosts Justine Murray and William Ray take you deep into that story.NZ Wars: Stories of Wairau introduces you to Te Rauparaha, Te Rongo and Te Rangihaeata, Arthur Wakefield and John Blenkinsopp. The two-part podcast tells the story of a dodgy land deal, the earliest New Zealand settlement schemes, Ngāti Toa's crucial migration south, the creation of the world's most famous haka and much more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Welcome to NZ Wars Collection, Kohikohinga o nga pakanga o Aotearoa, RNZ's latest superfeed. Each chapter zeroes in on one of the many wars, battles, and skirmishes that make up what are collectively known as the New Zealand Wars. Now, in this feed, we’re bringing all our New Zealand Wars stories together, right here on your favourite podcast app, with another chapter on the way.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details